ART IN THE AGE OF MECHANICAL REPRODUCTION

Retail Roundup: A Preview Of Philadelphia Boutiques’ Brand New Spring Merchandise, Perfect For This Week’s Warm Temperatures

From wedge sandals to macrame bracelets to neon crop tops and sparkly clutches, step into spring fully outfitted by Philadelphia boutiques. (Photo credits clockwise from top left: courtesy Fluevog, courtesy Arcadia, courtesy Scarlet Fiorella, courtesy Adorn)
We still have a few weeks of winter left on our calendar, but in the retail world, spring is in full swing.
Caught a case of spring fever? Shop these Philly boutiques and get a head start on updating your warm weather wardrobe. Here’s a roundup of what’s in stock, and what you can expect to see on the racks in the coming months.

Art in the Age: Art in the Age will be adding new names to its roster of labels. Expect tees, skirts and cotton belts from Industry of All Nations (arriving in the beginning of April); nautical rope bracelets and necklaces from The Ropes Maine; and handcrafted bow ties from Philly’s Forage. Also be on the lookout for posters and stationery from Fishtown-based artists The Wild Unknown.
Retail Roundup: A Preview Of Philadelphia Boutiques’ Brand New Spring Merchandise, Perfect For This Week’s Warm Temperatures.

http://www.uwishunu.com/2012/03/retail-roundup-a-preview-of-philadelphia-boutiques-brand-new-spring-merchandise-perfect-for-this-weeks-warm-temperatures/ , 3.6.12

Our friend Swabreen Bakr never fails to wow us with her dramatic photos of happenings throughout the city of Philadelphia, posted on her popular blog iPhotophilly .

We can always count on Swabreen to shoot stunning photos of our First Friday openings, and her recent post featuring our opening with blacksmith Louise Pezzi is amazing!

Check out a few of the shots below:

Click here for more from iPhotophilly

Our friends at Brave Tart blog just turned us on to their amazing recipe for ROOT floats with home-made sassafras ice cream!  What makes this recipe unique is that it utilizes both sassafras and ROOT liquor. Having two different “roots” in the recipe makes for a truly unique and intense root beer experience.

You can purchase sassafras at your local Farmers’ Market or health food store. If you find someone selling the essential oil, it is not intended for human consumption, do not use it. This recipe can only be made from organic sassafras bark.

ROOT Ice Cream
12 oz cream
12 oz milk
3, 4” sticks of Sassafras bark
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
8 egg yolks
5 ounces sugar
5 ounces brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 oz ROOT
the zest of 1 small orange

In a medium pot, bring the milk and cream to a boil together with the sassafras and vanilla bean. When the mixture begins to simmer, shut off the heat and cover with a lid. Steep at least one hour and up to three.

After you’ve finished steeping, whisk the yolks with the sugars and salt in a medium bowl.

Bring the milk/cream mixture back to a simmer. Once the mixture is nice and hot, shut off the heat and remove the sassafras. Use a spatula to scrape off all of the heavily flavored cream that will cling to the sticks of sassfras; likewise scrape out the vanilla cream from inside the vanilla pod.

Now, whisk some of the hot mixture into the egg yolks, a ladle-full at a time, until the egg mixture is quite warm. Then whisk it back into the pot of cream.

Stir over medium heat until the anglaise thickens (“coating the back of a spoon” being the popular description of done-ness). Immediately strain into a large bowl. Stir in the ROOT and orange zest.

Cool in an ice bath, refrigerate for 24 hours, and churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s directions and freeze for several hours before serving.

For the Float
1 bottle of micro-brewed root beer for every 2 servings
1 shot of ROOT for every serving
Black tea poached orange slices to garnish

Fill a tall Pilsner with a few scoops of ROOT ice cream, pour a shot of ROOT over it, then top it off with Root Beer. Garnish with black tea poached orange slices if you like and serve with a straw.

More photos coming soon!!  Via Brave Tart and  Table 310

The first blacksmith to arrive in Colonial America was a fellow by the name of James Reed, who promptly forged an iron chisel for each of his gratefull Jamestown shipmates. Needless to say Mr. Reed was sorely missed when a fever took him the next summer.

Zuni Blacksmith Shop

 American Indians also valued the ironworker’s craft. So much so, that many chiefs demanded in their treaties with the colonists that a well-supplied smithy be settled among them.

Colonial blacksmiths rarely did any finishing or polishing of the charcoal blackened metal, which issued from the forge. Some did however, impress their initials or mark upon tools of which they were particularly proud.

For our March exhibition at Art in the Age,  Philadelphia blacksmith Louise Pezzi has hand stamped each of her forged railroad spike bottle openers specifically for the show!  Join us for our opening First Friday reception and see these beautiful openers in person!

We couldn’t be more excited about our new railroad spike bottle openers forged by local Philadelphia blacksmith, Louise Pezzi!

Stay tuned for more images, or if you’re in the Philadelphia area this First Friday, stop by the Art in the Age shop and see them in person!

March 2-31, 2012

After obtaining a B.F.A. from Tyler School of Art, Louise Pezzi pursued her passion for the iron arts as an apprentice under Antonio Arellano-Franco, a master architectural blacksmith in Toledo Spain.

Now a master blacksmith in her own right, Pezzi specializes in a true custom architectural blacksmithing; hand-forging and traditionally finishing commissions in her Philadelphia shop. Pezzi’s original fine wrought iron work may be found in several national historic landmark churches, and her forged mechanical door chimes have received numerous awards.

For her exhibition at Art in the Age, Pezzi has created a limited edition run of hand-forged bottle openers, crafted out of solid iron railroad spikes. Each opener is a functional art piece, showcasing the intricacies and nuances of the blacksmithing craft. The exhibition will document the production of the openers, which will be hand stamped and numbered editions for Art in the Age.

Join us for an opening reception at the Art in the Age shop on First Friday, March 2nd, 6-8PM